Leinster Cross Country Masters and Intermediate 2025: Faithful Fields Edition

Leinster Cross Country Report: Faithful Fields, Kilcormac, Co. Offaly

Saturday, January 18th, saw the Leinster Cross Country Championships take place in the picturesque Faithful Fields GAA grounds in Kilcormac, County Offaly. The course was everything you’d expect from a proper Leinster cross-country: twisty paths, firm ground underfoot, and plenty of challenging climbs. Every participant left feeling the trademark soreness of a great cross-country race.

A New Venue and Scenic Route

It was a delight to race at this new venue, which offered a warm welcome and a good walk from the car park to warm up. Sportsworld AC had an outstanding turnout, and a big thanks is due to our dedicated coaches for their support in preparing the teams and getting everyone out on the day.

For me, this race marked a special milestone as it was my first cross-country outing since moving to Limerick. The scenic drive to Kilcormac was a highlight in itself, passing through towns like Borrisokane in Tipperary, known for its historical link to Irish independence, and Birr in County Offaly, home to the magnificent Birr Castle and its world-famous telescope. On the way home I even managed a stop at picturesque Lough Boora.

Results and Highlights

Sportsworld AC had another fantastic day with several strong performances and medals to celebrate:

• Liam continued his winning streak, showing incredible form as he stormed to victory. All eyes are now on Mayo for February 9th—at this rate, even Siri will know who he is by then!
• Our women’s teams shone brightly, with both the Masters and Intermediate squads taking home well-deserved gold club medals, with some counyty thrown in for good measure. Standouts were Noreen Brouder and Aoife Carroll both taking individual Silver and County Team Gold and Club Team Gold,but everyone excelled with huge performances from Lorna Quinn and Elaine Kennedy. Kudos to all our new runners.
• For the men’s Masters team, standout performances included:
  • Gareth Murran (16th, 25:03), Trevor Sweeney (20th, County Team Gold).
  • Derek Saville, Adam Furlong, and Paul O’Connell all putting in strong runs.
• The Intermediate men finished the day with fine runs from Donagh and Ian and newcomer Souvik toughing it out to the finish. Most of the lads are new to cross country. It takes few goes beore you ever like it.

Congratulations to everyone who raced—the hard work and determination paid off on a tough course. It was full of twists, turns and solid gradients. The races all went over different distances wit the youngsters running longer.

The future is bright with a really strong national contender Intermediate  womens team and always improving mens team.

Looking Ahead

As we prepare for the next big race in Mayo, it’s great to see the camaraderie and team spirit that define Sportsworld AC. Remember: showing up and putting in the effort are the keys to progress. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Here’s to more adventures, more climbs, and more victories. See you all on February 9th! I’ll be there to catch up on the goss I miss every Tuesday.